Provenance analysis of rock crystal artefacts from Palaeolithic sites in Moravia (East Central Europe) - a comparative extended approach

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14310%2F25%3A00140833" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14310/25:00140833 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-025-02189-4" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-025-02189-4</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12520-025-02189-4" target="_blank" >10.1007/s12520-025-02189-4</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Provenance analysis of rock crystal artefacts from Palaeolithic sites in Moravia (East Central Europe) - a comparative extended approach

Original language description

The Bohemian Massif and the Alps are regions that are generally known for their rock crystal artefacts and the study thereof. The most important archaeological findspots in the Czech Republic are the Palaeolithic sites at Nová Dědina (East Moravia) and in Žitný Cave (Moravian Karst), which yielded numerous rock crystal artefacts. The study of fluid inclusions as sensitive objects reflecting the conditions of their formation was included in the research. Subsequently, natural sites with the occurrence of rock crystals were selected as potential extraction sites, and a comparative study was carried out. The methodological approach has been completed using microthermometry, Raman spectrometry, EPMA and stable isotopic studies of oxygen. The best match of the fluid inclusion assemblage resulted from samples from the Bory-Cyrilov area (West Moravia, the Moldanubicum geological unit) as the rock crystal source for the Nová Dědina Aurignacian site. Unfortunately, no natural sample that would match the artefacts from the Žitný Cave was discovered in terms of the investigated properties. Certain features of the artefacts suggest a possible origin in the Tauern Window region. The inaccessibility of the Alps during large parts of the Palaeolithic and the properties of fluids may point more to the source area of the Moldanubicum. The applied methodological approach clearly shows that the combination of the methods used and the interpretation of their data defines the formation conditions and provides essential information for a discussion of the provenance of the raw material used for rock crystal artefacts.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

60102 - Archaeology

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences

ISSN

1866-9557

e-ISSN

1866-9565

Volume of the periodical

17

Issue of the periodical within the volume

4

Country of publishing house

DE - GERMANY

Number of pages

26

Pages from-to

1-26

UT code for WoS article

001441005900002

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-86000796491